Photographic camera



Feb. 8, 1938. H, KUPPENBENDER 2,107,829

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Filed Feb. 8, 1934 2 ,Sheets-Sheet 1 in ,7 "mm 11mm www Feb. 8, 1938. H. KUPPENBENDER PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. s, 1934 /Jz'nz @dn/pen bender;

Patented Feb. 8, 1938 l UNITED STATES rno'rocmumc cnr/mas Heinz Kppenbender, Dresden, v signor to Zeiss Ikon Aktiengesellschaft Dresden, Germany Germany, as-

Dresden,

Application February 8, 1934, Serial No. 710,208 f In Germany February 18, 1933 9 Claims.

This invention relates to photographic cameras and more especially to the combination, with such a camera, of a telemeter which is coupled with the means for adjusting the objective. Hitherto, mirror or prism systems 'have been employed for deflecting the measuring rays, the systems being turnable on an axis lying perpendicularly with respect to the measuring plane. There are also known telemeters in which lens systems can be shifted relatively to one another and parallel to the basis. All these devices involve the drawback that the meansfor transmitting power for turning the systems must be constructed for very exact operation. 1f the measuring rays are being deflected by rotatory mirrors or prisms, the rotary motion must be produced with the twofold accuracy, vthat is to say, with one half of the allowance admitted for the measuring ray. The same accuracy must be observed as regards the adjustment of the distance, and likewise as regards the equalization of differences of height. Similar difficulties are encountered if lens systems are to be shifted according to the above-mentioned procedure.

In order -to obviate the several difficulties and drawbacks,'the photographic camera according to the present-invention, is combined with a telemeter which is coupled with the means for adjusting the objective, said distance meter being designed in a manner known per se as a basis telemeter vwith stationary reflecting surfaces (prisms), in which the deflection of the measuring rays is effected by two glass wedges which .are turnable relatively to( one' another. The dimensions of said wedges should be such that when they are moved, the rays are' deflected only in one direction (in the measuring plane), whereas the wedge deflections in lall other planes compensate one another. Actuation of y the measuring wedges may be effected in a. variety of manners. I prefer moving the wedges by means of the worm of the objective, or, if the .objective is provided with an adjustable front lens, to operate the wedges from this place.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically and by way of -example in the accompanying drawings on which Figure 1 is a front viewand Figure 2 a plan view, partly in horizontal section, of a closed casing camera, Figures 3 and 4 are similar representations of a bellows camera. 1n all figures similar parts are marked with the same reference numerals. In both construc- 4tional forms the basis telemeter consists of a Vrhombic prism I, the surface 2 of which is semipermeably gilded, while the other, reflecting surface 3 is fully silvered. Ihe silvering of the surface 3 canbe obviated, if this surface is totally reflecting. By the use of various metallic layers one can obtain that'the picture sighted through the prism appears in a color differing from that of the picture made visible in therefiection.

Y The prism l is arranged upon one of the narrow sides of the camera body. To the semih transparent surface is cemented a simple angular prism 5 in order to render a direct vista possible. If the two reflecting surfaces are 1o- -cated parallel to one another, objects 'not infinitely remote are being lseen twofold owing to the finite basis of the telemeten In order to make the two objects coincide, one of the measuring rays is deflected. This is effected, according to this invention, by two glass wedges 6 and 'l which are arranged in a definite position relatively to one another in mounting 2l. The

` wedges are driven, in the con'structional form shown by way of example in Figs. 1 and 2, from the mounting 8 of theobjective adjusting member, which may be provided with a worm thread or a cam groove, through cog-wheels 9, IIJ and il. if such glass wedges` are turned counter to one another, the measuring ray is deflected only in one direction because the deflection at right angles thereto is compensated owing to the opposite rotation of the measuring wedges. If now the plane of the deflection of the measuring ray r is shifted into the plane of the measuring triangle by an appropriate adjustment of the wedges, the above-described system consisting of .the rhornbic prism and the measuring wedge constitutes an optical telemeter.

The advantage presented bythe combination of a camera with such a-telemeter is that the .rotation of the defiecting member takes place no longer in the plane of the measuring triangle, but at right angles thereto. With such a measuring device it is no longer necessary to move the measuring elements with the exactness hitherto requisite. This will be obvious at once if the circumstance is considered that for a deection of the measuring ray from infinity to 1 m. an angular movement of the ray of Vfrom 2 to 3 degrees for the usual basis lengths is necessary, whereas for the same movement of the 'A cannot only be manufactured at lower` costs. but that also its resistance to exterior strain and deformations is by far greater.

In view of the particularity of the distance meter forming the subject-matter of this invention, the requirements to be hitherto tulillled need no longer be observed; the ray deilecting means or members (wedges) can now be attached to the iront plate I4 of the objective as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and this plate can be connected with the camera body and, thus, also with the lrhombic prism by simple bottom stays or the like, whereby the coupling of tbe telemeter with the objective motion is extraordinarily simplied.

With other telemeters combined with the cam-.- era it was necessary to provide that the telemeter system as a whole be-secured to a rigid supporting body in order to prevent such variations of the ray deflection as might arise in the course of time.

In the constructional form shown in Fig. l the measuring wedges are arranged directly on the camera casing l2. In the modiilcation illustrated in Fig. 4 they are arranged on the objective can rier Il of a bellows camera.

In order to bring the feed movement ot the objective in properaccord with the movement of the measuring wedges for the `purpose of ilne adjustment, a correcting means is inserted between the objective motion and the turning wedges; such a means being formed, for instance, by a guide slot I 3 (Fig. 4) formed, for instance, in the objective extension tube.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modiiications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

. I claim:

1. A camera provided with a focussing device in combination with a telemeter having the same View as said camera and adapted to bring into coincidencetwo images of said view projected along two spaced lines of vision, the said te1emeter comprising optical means rotatable about an axis substantially coinciding with the axis of vision, for deilecting in a plane one of said images, mounted independently of the remain- Y ing elements ci' said telemeter in the path oi one of said lines of vision and adapted to'bring said image' into coincidence with the other of' said images, and means for coupling said optical means with said iocussing device to be moved therewith and tobring said images into coincidence only when said camera is in focus.

'2. The combination of claim l wherein the base line of said telemeter is deilned by the distance between two optical elements mounted on the body o! saidcamera.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said optical means for deilecting one of said images comprises two opposed optical wedges rotatable in opposite directions. i

4. The combination of claim l wherein said optical means-for deflecting one of said images is mounted on the body of said camera and comprises a pair oi wedge shaped light refracting members angularly dlsplaceable in opposite directions.

5. The combination oi' claim l-- wherein the camera focussing device comprises an objective lens with a rotatable mounting serving to focus said camera and 'wherein said optical means ior deecting one of said images comprises rotatable wedge members. said wedgemembers being coupled to said lens mounting for rotation therewith.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said telemeter comprises a rhomboid prism, the length of which deilnes the base line of said telemeter.

7. The combination of claim l wherein the camera is a bellows camera having a moveable objective carrier and said opticall means for deilecting one ci' said images isvmounted on said objective carrier. i

8. The combination of claim l wherein said telemeter comprises stationary light reflecting means and two wedge shaped rei'racting members angularly displaceable in opposite directions and arranged in series with said reilecting means.

9. A camera provided with a focussing device.

in combination with a telemeter having the same view as said camera and adapted to bring into vcoincidence two images of said view projected along two spaced lines oi vision, the said telemeter comprising twooptical wedges, rotatable in opposite directions about an axis substantially coinciding with the axis of vision and mutually compensating except in one plane, mounted in the path of one of said lines of vision and adapted to deilect one ot said images, said wedges be`- ing operatively coupled with said focussing de..

vice to bring said images into coincidence only when said camera is in focus. 

